Contrary to the nearly universal admonishments of parents telling their children not to play with their food, many foods have traditionally been prepared to have a pleasing and attractive appearance which encourages interest in the food, if not actual manipulation. This is particularly true of desserts and sweets of various sorts, and decorated cakes and the like are well known for festive occasions. Canapes, hors d'oeuvres, etc. are also commonly presented in an attractive array, which often encourages consumers thereof to inspect closely, if not actually manipulate, the food.
Most people also enjoy at least some minor mental challenge or activity, e.g., the assembly of a puzzle or the like. While picture puzzles having several hundred pieces and requiring hours of time to complete are beyond the scope of the present invention, persons preparing to have a meal or snack still generally find some time for relatively minor mental diversion. Many restaurants recognize this, and provide at least children's place mats with mazes, puzzles and the like imprinted thereon.
The present invention addresses both of the above aspects, by providing a puzzle cookie cutter having interchangeable dies for the cutting of cookie dough or the like, into a plurality of interlocking puzzle pieces. The pieces may then be baked conventionally, and distributed to children or other consumers. The consumers may reassemble the various cookie puzzle pieces to reform the pattern provided by the cutting die, prior to consuming the cookie puzzle. The interchangeable dies may have virtually any overall form, from simple geometric shapes, to animal and other caricatures of various sorts, to alphanumeric characters, if desired. The cookie puzzle pieces may be reassembled after baking for decoration, if desired, then disassembled before offering them to the consumer.